Costa Rica Chronicles: Quepos, Cocos, Helados, Adíos!

It has finally come down to my last and final post of my “Costa Rica Chronicles” and I’m sad to put these memories to rest for a while. During our last few days, we just spent some time doing what I’ve always grown up doing with family– going out in nature and taking a hike. I can hear myself sounding like a complete environmental freak just typing this out, but truly, some of the best things in life lie right outside our backyard, on this earth and surround us in nature. What more is better, more beautiful and more astonishing than the bright blue waves crashing on the shores, the chirping of exotic birds in the forest and the loud rhythmic buzzing of the cicadas, the light ocean breeze and salty air, and the moments of pure awe and serenity with all the beauty that lies around us? Really, is there anything better than that? Sometimes, it’s as if heaven is here right on this very earth.

I know that what I’ve seen is only a very small sliver of Earth’s entirety, but I think that it’s a huge factor in what fuels my desire to travel-to see more, to learn more, and to know more. There are few things more humbling than standing by the ocean and looking out at the waters, or taking a walk through the forests amidst the towering trees, and being reminded of how small we actually are and how great this Earth is. That we make up a miniscule of a fraction of all the inhabitants that live on this planet. That we know an infinitesimal amount of all the things that there is to know about life and galaxies and beyond. Merely thinking about that alone just gives me such an overwhelming desire to get out of my little bubble I so often find myself trapped in, and to just see what else lies beyond my reach. This place we call home and are all privileged enough to share is just such an incredible thing sometimes.

Here is beautiful Quepos, a small island where we spent the day kayaking out along the peaceful waters and snorkeling in the clear waters.

And a hike through Manuel Antonio National Park, right outside our hotel, so green and so serene.

I cried when I saw this sloth. CRIED. Because I was laughing and screaming with so much joy at the fact that after 5 days in Costa Rica I finally saw a sloth climbing at a rate of 0.25 miles per hour from one end of the branch to another (most sloths are inactive and typically sleep for around 20 hours a day).

I’ll let these pictures do the bragging.

We came to a small opening at the end of the trail that led to a small beach, so we just took the time to sit here and watch the waves, feel the sun and take it all in.

Because this is literally paradise-drinking coconut water straight out of a fresh coco and lying down on the sand with flowers in your hair.

And ending off our last day in Costa Rica with a surf lesson. Shaka!!

Of course we’ll need some ice cream to cool off and balance out all the salt water we drank in.

Costa Rica, your country is beautiful, your people are so nice and incredibly pleasant, and I hope to be back soon. For all the moments of complete serenity, pure bliss, and time of my life adventures, I will always carry and cherish those memories with me.